crow

[ kroh ]

/ kroʊ /

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noun

any of several large oscine birds of the genus Corvus, of the family Corvidae, having a long, stout bill, lustrous black plumage, and a wedge-shaped tail, as the common C. brachyrhynchos, of North America.

any of several other birds of the family Corvidae.

any of various similar birds of other families.

Crow, Astronomy. the constellation Corvus.

crowbar (def. 1).

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Idioms about crow

as the crow flies, in a straight line; by the most direct route: The next town is thirty miles from here, as the crow flies.

eat crow, Informal. to be forced to admit to having made a mistake, as by retracting an emphatic statement; suffer humiliation: His prediction was completely wrong, and he had to eat crow.

have a crow to pick / pluck with someone, Midland and Southern U.S. to have a reason to disagree or argue with someone.

Origin of crow

First recorded before 900; Middle English crowe, Old English crāwe, crāwa; cognate with Old High German krāwa; akin to Dutch kraai, German Krähe

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH crow

craw, crow

Other definitions for crow (2 of 3)

crow²

[ kroh ]

/ kroʊ /

verb (used without object), crowed or, for 1, (especially British), crew;crowed;crow·ing.

to utter the characteristic cry of a rooster.

to gloat, boast, or exult (often followed by over).

to utter an inarticulate cry of pleasure, as an infant does.

noun

the characteristic cry of a rooster.

an inarticulate cry of pleasure.

OTHER WORDS FOR crow

2 vaunt, brag.

See synonyms for crow on Thesaurus.com

Origin of crow

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crouen, crowen, Old English crāwan; cognate with Dutch kraaien, German krähen; see crow¹

OTHER WORDS FROM crow

crower, nouncrow·ing·ly, adverb

Other definitions for crow (3 of 3)

Crow

[ kroh ]

/ kroʊ /

noun

a member of a Siouan people of eastern Montana.

a Siouan language closely related to Hidatsa.

Origin of Crow

1795–1805; translation of North American French (gens des) Corbeaux Raven (people), literal translation of Crow apsá˙loke a Crow Indian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use crow in a sentence

After a flood of cancellations, the critics crowed the daytime soap was finished.
How the Daytime Soap Came Back From the Dead|Tim Teeman|January 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again,” she crowed in May 2008.
The Government Shutdown Isn’t Racist|Stuart Stevens|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In August 2011, John Boehner crowed “I got 98 percent of what I wanted.”
Who’s Winning the ‘Fiscal Cliff’|Daniel Gross|November 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“I think it is a significant turn in U.S. policy toward Myanmar [Burma],” Thein Sein adviser Ko Ko Hlaing crowed to Reuters.
Hillary Clinton in Burma: Why She's Visiting the Oppressed State|Lennox Samuels|November 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST

The cock crowed three times, and Bill Keller shamelessly denied us.
Assange Biography: Best Bits|Mike Giglio|September 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The roosters crowed and the hens clucked; the farmer's wife began to get breakfast, and the four children slept on.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
They mewed like cats at the approach of the patrol, and crowed like cocks when a likely victim approached.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2|Various
And Coquerico, bristling his plumage, crowed three times in his shrillest voice and proudly strutted onward.
Laboulaye's Fairy Book|Various
An th' angel iv peace brooded over th' earth an' crowed lustily.
Mr. Dooley Says|Finley Dunne
The little fellow, in his glee, clapped his hands and crowed too.
Chanticleer|Cornelius Mathews

British Dictionary definitions for crow (1 of 3)

crow¹

/ (krəʊ) /

noun

any large gregarious songbird of the genus Corvus, esp C. corone (the carrion crow) of Europe and Asia: family Corvidae . Other species are the raven, rook, and jackdaw and all have a heavy bill, glossy black plumage, and rounded wingsSee also carrion crow Related adjective: corvine

any of various other corvine birds, such as the jay, magpie, and nutcracker

any of various similar birds of other families

offensive an old or ugly woman

short for crowbar

as the crow flies as directly as possible

eat crow US and Canadian informal to be forced to do something humiliating

stone the crows stone

Word Origin for crow

Old English crāwa; related to Old Norse krāka, Old High German krāia, Dutch kraai

British Dictionary definitions for crow (2 of 3)

crow²

/ (krəʊ) /

verb (intr)

(past tense crowed or crew) to utter a shrill squawking sound, as a cock

(often foll by over) to boast one's superiority

(esp of babies) to utter cries of pleasure

noun

the act or an instance of crowing

Derived forms of crow

crower, nouncrowingly, adverb

Word Origin for crow

Old English crāwan; related to Old High German krāen, Dutch kraaien

British Dictionary definitions for crow (3 of 3)

Crow

/ (krəʊ) /

noun

plural Crows or Crow a member of a Native American people living in E Montana

the language of this people, belonging to the Siouan family

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with crow

crow

In addition to the idiom beginning with crow

crown jewels
crow over

also see:

as the crow flies
eat crow

crow

Idioms about crow

Origin of crow

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH crow

Other definitions for crow (2 of 3)

OTHER WORDS FOR crow

Origin of crow

OTHER WORDS FROM crow

Other definitions for crow (3 of 3)

Origin of Crow

Words related to crow

How to use crow in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crow (1 of 3)

Word Origin for crow

British Dictionary definitions for crow (2 of 3)

Derived forms of crow

Word Origin for crow

British Dictionary definitions for crow (3 of 3)

Other Idioms and Phrases with crow